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Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
Official application routes, service-area details, contact information, and HUD-reported program data for this Cleveland housing agency.
Independent directory: CalculateBenefits is not CMHA or HUD. Recorded source-check date for the agency-specific details below: 2026-11-02.
Is the Cleveland Section 8 waiting list open?
As of Nov. 2, 2026, CMHA's website said it accepts applications year-round.
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
Accepts applications year-round
What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →
Public housing
Call to ask
No current check. Call or check the agency's site.
Waiting lists open and close without much notice. Applying is free; only CMHA can take an application or tell you your place on a list.
Start with the official agency
Visit the official CMHA website →
Housing applications and waiting-list registration are free. A third party cannot guarantee approval or move you ahead on a waiting list.
What this agency serves
CMHA serves Cuyahoga County, Ohio, including Cleveland. It runs the Housing Choice Voucher program in the county and owns and manages public housing properties.
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
- Project-Based Vouchers (PBV)
- Public Housing (CMHA Properties)
- Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS)
- Employment services (ACE)
Housing Choice Voucher application
You send a short preliminary application through CMHA's online portal. You need your own email account, because CMHA sends all updates by email. CMHA picks names by random 'mini lotteries' as money allows. A preliminary application lasts 18 months, and you can apply again right away if it runs out.
What CMHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check CMHA's official site or call for the current status.
Public housing application
Wait times depend on bedroom size, type of unit (family or high rise) and preferences. An Intake Specialist contacts you when your name reaches the top of the list. Questions about property applications go to the CMHA Properties Applications Team at 216.361.3700.
What CMHA said when we checked on . Waiting lists open and close; check CMHA's official site or call for the current status.
Income limits for Cuyahoga County
HUD fiscal year 2026 limits (pulled July 27, 2026) for Cuyahoga County, where CMHA's main office is.
| Household | 30% (extremely low) | 50% (very low) | 80% (low) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,050 | $36,750 | $58,800 |
| 2 people | $25,200 | $42,000 | $67,200 |
| 3 people | $28,350 | $47,250 | $75,600 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $52,500 | $84,000 |
Section 8 vouchers generally use the 50% limit, and agencies must give most new vouchers to families at or below 30%; families up to 50% can still qualify. The 80% limit applies to public housing. Limits differ by county; use the income-limit checker for the county you live in.
Source: HUD income limits. Check 5 to 8 people or another county →
Other help in Cleveland
Heat and utility bills
Step Forward (energy assistance for Cuyahoga County) · (216) 480-HEAP (4327)
Helps Cuyahoga County residents apply for HEAP and PIPP to lower energy costs and avoid shutoff. Call the 24/7 line or see its document checklist first.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Food
Greater Cleveland Food Bank · 216.738.2067
The food bank for Northeast Ohio. Call its Help Center or use its site to find pantries and get help with SNAP.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Facing eviction
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland · 216-687-1900
Free civil legal help for people with low incomes in Cuyahoga and nearby counties, including housing problems. Apply online, by phone, or at a free advice clinic.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Everything else
United Way 2-1-1 Greater Cleveland · 211
Free, private help finding local services, 24 hours a day. Call 2-1-1 or chat. Se habla español.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
These are separate organizations, not CMHA and not CalculateBenefits.
Contact CMHA before you visit
General inquiries: 216.348.5000
Central office: 8120 Kinsman Road, Cleveland, OH 44104-3101
Housing Choice Voucher line: 216.431.1471
Published hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CMHA's Main Campus at 8120 Kinsman Road is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can use kiosks and computers there to sign up for the portal and apply. To ask for a disability accommodation, contact the Reasonable Accommodations Team at 216.271.2996 or ra@cmha.net.
From CalculateBenefits, not CMHA
Waiting-list news by email
Get our free emails. If a main Section 8 waiting list we track opens and we see it, we email the people who signed up here. Some lists close before we can send. To sign up, you take our free benefits check. You give your name and email and answer a few questions. A phone step is optional. Then you see offers from partners. Your information may be shared with or sold to marketing partners. They may also contact you (how we use it). Signing up does not apply for housing or put you on any waiting list.
Because you've turned on a privacy opt-out, we don't offer this sign-up here. Check the agency's own site for openings.
Before and after you apply
- For a voucher preliminary application, have an email account, the names and birth dates of everyone in your home, and each person's income.
- If CMHA picks you in a lottery, it emails you to finish the full Housing Choice Voucher application.
- Keep your phone, email, mailing address, income and household up to date in the portal so CMHA can reach you.
- If you applied in past years, CMHA says you need to apply again through the new process.
- People who already get rental help from another agency cannot get more rental help from this program.
- Questions about voucher applications: call 216-431-1471, option 6.
Documents CMHA asks applicants to have ready
- An active private email account
- Names and dates of birth of all household members
- Income of each household member
From CMHA's published guidance. Ask the agency if you are missing something; do not wait to call.
HUD-reported assistance
These figures are HUD reporting-data snapshots, not a count of openings. Equal inventory and occupied counts do not prove that no future opening is possible. Waiting-list status comes from CMHA, not this dataset.
HUD public housing designation: Standard Performer. Standard Performer means the agency met HUD's overall and individual-indicator minimums but did not qualify as a High Performer. It is an operating assessment, not a customer-review rating.
HUD directory dataset retrieved 2026-07-20; record last updated 2026-04-07. Read the data methods and limitations.
Agency and data sources
Related: All Ohio housing agencies · Ohio income limits and Fair Market Rents · How Housing Choice Vouchers work · Section 8 waiting lists at large agencies.